Education Notes (6/12/13)

June 12, 2013

Florida has released the remaining results from the 2013 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Results indicate that Lee County students are performing at or above state averages in most grades in reading, mathematics, science and writing.

The state also released summary reports for the high school End of Course Exams.

In reading, Lee County students scored at or above state averages in seven out of eight grade levels. In math, students met or exceeded state averages in five out of six grade levels. In science, fifth-graders scored as well as the state average, while eighth-graders outscored their counterparts around the state.

Previously released writing scores showed that local students outscored the state in fourth and eighth grades.

End of Course Exam scores indicate that Lee County experienced a significant increase in Algebra 1, just shy of closing the gap with the state average. This was the first year that the state released Level 3-5 percentages for biology and geometry End of Course Exams.

Standards have not yet been set for the U.S. history exam.

All students in third through 10th grade participate in FCAT testing in reading. FCAT 2.0 was administered in math in third through eighth grade. Only fifth- and eighth-graders take the FCAT science test.

Students enrolled in algebra, biology, geometry and U.S. history participate in the End of Course Exams for those subjects.

Scores are reported as percentages of students scoring in Levels 3-5. There are five achievement levels for all tests, with Level 5 being the highest.

The official State Accountability Report, based on the results of the assessments, is expected to be released in July for elementary and middle schools. High school grades are released later in the fall because data on graduation rates and other components are not available until then.

Individual Student Reports will be available for pick up at schools for FCAT subjects beginning June 24 and for End of Course Exams beginning July 2.

Lee Virtual Instruction Program earns bronze recognition

The Lee Virtual Instruction Program, the Lee County School District's high-quality, fully online school for students, was recently awarded the bronze ranking in US News & World Report's rating of America's Best High Schools.

LVIP is a self-selecting, student/parental choice program for K-12 students whose primary residence is Lee County. The program provides expanded educational services to a wider student community for anywhere, anytime learning via Internet instruction along with traditional teaching materials.

In order to be recognized by US News & World Report for inclusion on the list, schools had to demonstrate that their students were performing better than statistically expected for the average student in the state; that economically disadvantaged students were performing better than average for similar students in the state; and that students were being adequately prepared for college and higher education.